Toothbrush



1,618,475 F 2 1927' I A, R. L. READ TOOTHBRUSH Filed Oct. 5, 1925 INVENTOR A.E.L.REA

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

TUNITED STATES AUGUSTUS R. LEE READ, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

TOO'IHBRUSH.

Application filed October 5, 1925. Serial No. 60,561.

My invention relates to improvements in tooth brushes, audit consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a tooth brush of the character described whic may be manufactured with very little cost so that the tooth brushes may be placed in a vending machine, together with a small amount of tooth paste or the like, and dispensed at a cost of five or ten cents. Thus, the vendee after using the brush may well afford to discard the brush. It will be apparent therefore that I have provided a tooth brush which maybe marketed in the manner described in Pullmantrains, hotel wash rooms, or any other place occupied or frequented by travelers.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tooth brush of the character described in which novel means is provided for reenforcing the bristle bearing portion of the brush againZt movement with respect to the handle member.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointedout' in the. appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a' side elevation of an embodiment of my invention,

- F'gure 2 is a top plan view 'of the brush illustratedin Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view along the line 33of Figure 1, and

Figure 4' is an enlarged perspective view of the bristle bearing portion of the brush.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a bristle bearing portion 1 which is made 'of highly pressed papier-mach, paper board, fiber, or similar light and relatively cheap material. This bristle bearing portion has arcuate opposed indentation 2 on the side walls thereof forming a neck portion and an enlarged head portion 3 at the outermost end, presenting a smooth curved surface.

Bristles 5 are embedded in the member 1 by the provision of wire anchors 6. This embedding of the bristles is performed in any suitable manner.

Afelongated tubular shell 7 slit throughlike.

out its length is formed of papier-mach, paper board, compressed paper or fiber board in proper dies so as to encompass at its outermost portion the member 1, all save the portion 3 ofthe member '1. Thus the member 1 is securely supported at the outermost end of the'tubular shell 7. The shell 7 has a longitudinally extending rib portion 8 for reenforcin'g the shelle so that the likelihood of the shell breaking at the handle portion, i. e., that portion not occupied by the member 1, is reduced to a minimum.

The shell 7 is provided with an opening 9 therethrough by means of which the tooth brush may be supported upon a hook or the The portion 3 is sufiiciently larger than the major portion of the member 1 so as to cause the outermost surface of the shell 7 to lie contiguous with the outer surface of the portion 3. This produces apleasing unbroken appearance to the head portion of the tooth brush and eliminates sharp projections which might lend discomfort to the user of the device.

It will be noted that the indentations 2 provide a neck portion, as stated. This neck portion permanently holds the head 1 in positionso as to prevent it from disengagement from the shell.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereused. s

The construction of the handle member 7 .is such as to prevent the' member from breaking unintentionally while in use as the rib 8. together with the tubular construction thereof, lends a high degree of rigidity to the member. The provision of the solid member 1 within the outermost portion of the handle shell 7 provides a solid bedding for the bristles and also a suitable founda tion for the tubular member 7 so that the member 7 is less likely to spread by virtue of its split construction which is necessary since the member 7 is constructed of sheet papier-miich, pressed paper board, or fiber tially encompassing said body member and formed in suitable dies. extending into close en agement with the I claim: indented neck portion or=preventing the 1 A tooth brush of the character described disengagement of the body member from 5 comprising a bristle bearing body member the handle.

having an indented neck portion, and a slit tubular shell having a portion thereof par- AUGUSTUS R. LEE READ. 

